Catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit Manuscripts In the Central Provinces and Berar

SR No.: 011132
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Rai Bahaddur Hiralal
Publisher: Central Provins and Berar
Total Pages: 887
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue
File Size: 27 MB

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Siddhasena Divakara. Once he presumptuously declared in the presence of his "guru" that he would turn the whole sacred lore from Prakrit into Sanskrit. For the expiation of the sin committed by this sacrelegious utterance, he was administered by his guru the "Paränbika Prayaścbitta" which required him to remain dumb for twelve years and visit sacred places. In observance of this vow, he once went to Ujjain and lodged in the temple of Mahākāla. Here he incurred the displeasure of the priests for not making obeisance to the god Siva. They called the king Vikramaditya who compelled Siddhasena to bow before the god. Siddhasena did this reciting the Kalyana niandira ode which had the effect of splitting the image of Siva in Iwain and manifesting out of it an image of a Jain Tirthankara. Being impressed with his power king Vikramaditya and many others became converted to Jainism (cf. this story with the one given by Peterson in his Report for 1882-83, pp. 60-67).
Thus, tradition makes Siddhasena a contemporary of Vikramaditya. Dr. S. C. Vidyabhushana identifies Siddhasena with "Kshapanaka", one of the nine poet jewels of Vikrama's court, and Vikramaditya with Yasodharama, the hero of Karur. Thus he brings Siddhasena down to A.D. 533. A difficulty, however, arises in accepting this date, in view of the fact that Siddhasena has been referred to by Siddbasenagani in his Tattvārtba Sätra Tikā. This latter is known to have been a contemporary of Devärdhigani Kshamasramana who redacted the Svetambara canon in A.D. 453 (cf. Introduction to Uvásagga dasão edited by Dr. Höernle). Dr. Vidyabhushana's contention that Siddhasenagani might have lived later--about A.D. 600, is not convincing. Again Siddhasena's "Sam mati tarka" has been commented upon by Mallavadi who is assigned to the 5th century of the Vikrama era (cf.J.S. S., Vol. 1, p. 82, footnote). In order to accommodate these objections and at the same time not disturb much the date established by Dr. Vidyabhushana it may be supposed that the Vikramaditya, of Siddhasena's times was not Yasodharma, but Chandra Gupta II, who is also thought to have been the centre of many of the Vikrama legends. By this supposition we carry Siddhasena nearly a century and a half back, as Chandra Gupta II reigned from 380 to 413 A.D. The possibility, however, of a Vikramaditya reigning about B.C. 57, is not even yet completely overthrown. The Jain tradition regarding it is ancient and persistent.
Siddhasena, like Umāsvāmi, is claimed by both the Digambaras and the Svetā mbaras, and this is often urged as a reason in favour of assigning him to the 1st century B.C., a date prior to the sectarian split. References to him in Svetambara literature are ancient and many of those in Digambara literature are also ancient. Jinasena, the author of U.